The 7th session of the EU Integration Council, chaired by Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, was held last Friday at the Government Palace. At the beginning of the session Serbian President Boris Tadic addressed members of the Council.

The Council considered and adopted measures for speeding up EU integration process for the period from January to June 2009.

The government’s efforts concerning the meeting of the criteria necessary for visa liberalisation were highly appreciated. The Council called upon the government to continue working on implementing the adopted measures in order to have visa regime abolished as soon as possible.

The Council also supported the government in its decision to start implementing the Transitional Trade Agreement. Bearing in mind the fact that Serbia is making every effort to unfreeze the Transitional Trade Agreement, the Council invited the EU to consider Serbia’s efforts in this respect when deciding on its EU membership.

The Council invited the government to speed up the implementation of the already adopted laws needed for Serbia’s EU integration and to choose the right moment to submit EU membership application.

The Council expects the EU to maintain its enlargement policy regardless of all the challenges it has to deal with.

The Serbian government established the EU Integration Council in 2002 as the highest body in charge of providing strategic guidelines and reaching national consensus concerning Serbia’s EU integration.

The current members of the Council were appointed at the government session held on November 27, 2008.